COLD CALLING

I mentioned in an earlier blog that 1/3 of all new employees find jobs because of someone they knew. Also mentioned was a statistic that about 80% of job openings are not advertised in a newspaper. So...how do you find these "hidden jobs"?

Depending upon what book/reference you read, cold calling is how somewhere between 64% - 85% people find their jobs.

What is cold calling?

Cold calling is either (1) going into a place of business to seek a job or (2) calling a business to see if they are hiring.

Since money is tight, let's focus on calling a business on the phone to see if it is hiring.

Most people will call without researching the company to find out what the company provides/does or the company's organizational structure. When I conduct my class, I ask participants what they would say if the called a company to see if it was hiring. Most people tell me they will either ask "are you hiring" or "are you taking applications"?

Two mistakes just happened. The first is, the caller did not determine who the decision maker was - they either asked the receptionist/switchboard operator or they asked for Human Resources.

To increase the probability of being successful, you need to determine who is the person you would be reporting to - a supervisor, an owner, etc. This is the person you want to speak to. There are times when the decision maker knows (s)he will be hiring or is thinking about it, and may have not informed HR.

After you determine who the decision maker is, you might be tempted to ask if (s)he is hiring, however that puts you in a "needy" position (I know you need a job, however you are employed to solve an employer's problems; to make him/her money or to save him/her money - not the other way around with you asking him/her to solve your problems).

This said, you have about 30 seconds to catch the decision maker's attention - (s)he is a busy person and does not have time to waste (remember time is money).

Successful people will (1) ask if the person has about a minute of time and will (2) introduce themselves giving their name and job title followed by (3) a very brief statement of what knowledge, skills or abilities can be offered to any employer. They then ask the question (4) Do you have a need for my services? Do you need my help at this time?

There are only two answers to this question: 'yes' means can you meet with the person or send a resume and 'no' is an opportunity to (a) thank the person for his/her time and to (b) ask 'who are two people who might need my help?' (Do NOT ask, do you know someone I could call? The answer is most likely "no" followed by hanging up). Most of the time, if you ask, who might need my help, you will most likely hang up with at least one person you can now call.

When you call the person whose name was provided, tell the prospective employer who provided his/her name and repeat the dialogue from above.

Every call should be followed up with a short 'thank you' enclosing either a mini resume business card or a resume. Why? Maybe today the "big cheese" is not hiring, but tomorrow someone may quit, be fired, or whatever. You want to keep your name in front of prospective employers. Also, my personal bias - "we" have lost a great deal of our civility and writing a "thank you" night is something which "makes my day" - it's a lost art that is still valued by those people who receive the note.